I saw another young neighbour downtown with a head scarf on to hide the hair loss of cancer chemotherapy. That makes 3 in the last few months. I think that’s a high incidence in a town of 2000 residents and it makes me sad, frustrated and angry.

According to the Canadian Cancer Society almost half of Canadians can expect to develop cancer at some time in their lives. Five hundred Canadians are diagnosed with it every day!

We have all lost people we love to this disease. We have all stood helplessly by and watched them suffer and struggle through treatment.We need to be collectively furious about this.

We know that our air, water and food supplies are contaminated with pesticides and herbicides. We know that certain drugs, genetically altered food products, air pollution, and the vanishing ozone layer are all implicated in the poor health, suffering and dying of many of this planet’s species.

Birds are dying. Bees are dying. Fish are dying. We are dying.

How many more times must the leading scientists say it so that our elected officials will understand?

We cannot be healthy if our environment is sick.